Leo's Jewelery Tips
I have written articles for trade publications and have given many presentations and seminars for inside the Jewelry Industry as well as outside the Jewelry Industry for Consumers.
With 30 years of Diverse Industry Experience, I am sharing Jewelry Tips for Consumers.
I hope that you find them helpful. I list them here and post them on Our Facebook and Twitter accounts.
Leo Anglo, General Manager
Jewelry Tips:
Engagement Ring Customers - You are in Control
For most engagement ring customers, this is the first major Jewelry Purchase. It can be intimidating, but you must realize something . . . you are one of the most important customers in the marketplace today. For the Retail Jeweler, you represent a string of future purchases that will last a lifetime, such as anniversaries, birthdays, future childrens' birthdays and events.
As many would say, You are the Very top of the food chain. And when choosing the place to buy your engagement ring, you should be asking yourself . . Is this a Jeweler who is looking for a customer for life, or is this a jeweler looking to get that one big sale ?
So all you Engagement Ring Customers, remember that you are in the drivers Seat. Make sure you are treated that way.
Written By : Leo Anglo, General Manager of Vincent's Jewelers
Jewelry Tips:
To Buy or Not To Buy - Buying a Diamond on the Internet ?
Buying Diamonds on the internet is one of the most interesting concepts I have ever seen in my 30 years in the Jewelry Industry. The internet is a great way to get information and knowledge about diamonds, and yes even the pricing of diamonds. But the real issue for the consumer, can you see and compare diamonds on the internet. The answer is "Yes" and "No" at the same time. And no, I am not running for a Political Office.
You can get general information and even sort diamonds as possible candidates and definitely not candidates. As professionals, we have to do this all the time, by looking at quality grades, measurements, proportions, and information on lab reports . . . we can often eliminate diamonds that don't meet certain criteria we are looking for. Now we do this with years of experience. Experience in knowing and seeing what each criteria can do to the diamonds brilliance and beauty.
Can an average consumer do this with little or no hands on diamond experience . . . Probably not. Here is a key fact that many Diamond Sellers don't point out, no two diamonds are exactly alike. We like to say in the Diamond Industry, Diamonds are like Snowflakes, they can be similar but no two are exactly alike.
I can demonstrate all this in one simple experiment. If you go to one of these on-line Diamond Sellers, pick a 1 carat round diamond with G color, SI1 Clarity. You will see a huge price variance with the same key parameters. Recently I did one such search, the price range was $4,400 to $7,500. To complicate matters, do you know what your tolerance is for the Color and Clarity Grades ?
Now, yes . . .the cut grade will play a factor in the price, but do you really understand the "cut Grades", how does it affect what you see, and is it worth the price difference ?
The only way to understand all this and find your true tolerance to the different criteria is to see them with your own eyes. Try it, a Professional Jeweler will make your experience special and less stressful. They will show and explain these different criteria. And in the end, you will find that they can compete in price when all is taken in to account.
Written by: Leo Anglo, General Manager of Vincent's Jewelers, St. Louis Mo
Jewelry Tips:
Selling Jewelry, Selling Gold, Selling Diamonds, Selling Gemstones
There are many articles and tips about selling gold. Some are helpful some are not. Regretfully, many consumer activist type groups and organizations don’t always understand the whole process. I recently watched an interview of a representative of such a national organization (the actual name is irrelevant). They made statements to sell your gold to a scrap gold buyer then bringing the gems to a jeweler. This is a BIG OUCH !
This concept is totally wrong. I will explain it like this. If you are trying to sell a car that runs and can pass inspection, why would you take it to sell it to a scrap dealer and tear apart to sell it as scrap and salvage. Would you not first try to sell it as a running and usable car.
Your Jewelry Items are the same, why tear it apart if you can sell it as a piece of Jewelry ??
Simply, there is more to selling Jewelry than just throwing it on a scale.
Are you Selling Scrap ? Or Are you Selling Jewelry ?
A Full Service Professional Jeweler can provide much more than the average “Gold Buyer”. Here is a quick list of options that are available to you: Selling them Outright, Selling them on Consignment in the Retail Store, Brokering the items to Dealers or Collectors, Trading in the Items for new Jewelry, or Remaking the items into something new.
I think some of the key questions you should decide upon before going out to sell jewelry are: Why am I selling the Jewelry ?, How Quickly do I need to sell the Jewlery, that is need the money ?
Since we provide so many options, we help Our Customers find the best solutions for them. In many cases, the Jewelry Items are sorted, some are sold immediately for Cash, some we try to sell on consignment for up to 7 times more than the cash out amount.
Summary: There is more to Selling Your Jewelry than throwing it on scale.
Written by Leo Anglo, General Manager of Vincent’s Jewelers and St. Louis Gold Buyers
Jewelry Tips:
How Do I Know My Diamond was not Switched ?
This is a common question Jewelers are asked by Consumers. The variant of this is, Ibrought my diamond to XYZ Jewelers, and my Diamond looks different now. This is a common question, but the verified occurrence of a Jeweler switching a diamond compared to the number of Diamonds handled would challenge the likelihood of being struck by lightning or winning the lottery.
Most accusations occur because the Consumer is not very familiar with their diamond, so it will look different when it has been thoroughly cleaned. Often, the Jeweler did not take the time to accurately inspect the diamond, much less describe verbally and/or in writing for the customer on a repair ticket.
Now, how do we prevent the accusations or even the feeling that it might happen. There is no reason for a consumer to have a concern if simple steps are taken by both the Consumer and the Jeweler.
Suggested Steps:
If you don’t feel comfortable with the Jeweler you are leaving your diamond with . . . DON’T Leave it !. Whether your instincts are correct or not, why put yourself through the aggravation.
If your diamond has an independent lab report from one of the major independent labs, you are already covered. Now this is not an appraisal form a jeweler, but a full report describing the characteristics of you diamond, including a plot of the diamond. Some of the acceptable independent labs are Gemological Institute of America (G.I.A.), American Gem Society (A.G.S.), European Gemological Laboratories (E.G.L.), or International Gemological Institute (I.G.I). Bring the lab report with you and have the jeweler verify that the diamond matches the report, and have the lab and report number put on your claim ticket. When you pick it up, bring the lab report with you and have them show you that it matches the lab report.
If your diamond does not have one of the lab reports listed above. Ask your Jeweler to measure your diamond, show you any identifiable inclusions and give you the general color of the diamond. I would also suggest you ask if your diamond has any fluorescence. This is a characteristic that some diamonds have. Ask to have all of this information on the claim ticket.
Finally, some intangible things to look for. Is the Jeweler established ? Do they have the appearance of being a successful business ? (other customers in the store or does it look like a ghost town) Are they members of Industry Organizations ? Are they rated by the Better Business Bureau ?
Written by Leo Anglo, General Manager of Vincent’s Jewelers and St. Louis Gold Buyers
